Like Father, Like Son
by W.H. Woolhat
Summary: A year after the events of Second Chances, things are running smoothly between Sirrus and his family. But when Atrus goes missing after an exploratory trip to Spire, Catherine suspects that Sirrus somehow had something to do with it. Now complete!
1. Unspoken Lines

**Author's Note**: Some quick research on Wikipedia informed me that Tomahna is actually on Earth. D'oh! I'd always just assumed that it was an Age unto itself, like Myst. Its location renders some of "Second Chances" impossible, namely Sirrus's discoveries while hiking. I've attempted to make light of this mistake in order to continue using that aspect of the story, because I rather like it.  
Sorry, Myst buffs!

* * *

My friend,

If you find you have the time, we would love to see you again. It has been far too long since your last visit and we all miss you.

Atrus

* * *

Atrus,

I have a couple free days coming up, and I'd love to spend them in Tomahna. You're right; it has been too long.

See you soon.

Sam

* * *

**Chapter 1 – Unspoken Lines**

It was a warm day in Tomahna when Catherine set out to meet Atrus's friend.

Her head was full of pleasant thoughts. She could hardly believe that it had already been a year since Sirrus's miraculous return. His change of heart had made an amazing difference in the family. Atrus was happier than he'd been in years, and Yeesha was delighted to have a brother she could trust.

As for Catherine, it made her happy to see her family so happy. True, she and Sirrus didn't talk as much as she could like, but simply having him around meant a lot. He and Atrus were better suited to each other's company, anyway. Once they had stopped arguing, they had realized how much they had in common, and were often inseparable these days. Catherine couldn't express how glad it made her to see that.

The fact that Atrus's friend was coming to visit again made things even better. Samantha—called Sam—had been a friend of the family for so long that she was practically part of the family, and Catherine always felt that things were more complete when she was around.

Sam was waiting, in her customary outfit of a t-shirt and khaki pants, when Catherine pulled up in the tram. She got in with a smile, and Catherine turned back in the direction of Atrus's workshop.

"It's good to see you again," she said.

"It's good to be back," Sam replied. "I can't believe it's been six months since I was last here."

"We've all missed you."

"So Atrus said in his letter." Sam paused, smiling a bit, as if at some private joke. "I'm a little surprised that Sirrus wasn't the one to pick me up."

Catherine tried not to laugh. She had no doubt that Sirrus would have volunteered to meet Sam, had he and Atrus not been glued to paged of notes all morning.

"He and Atrus are pouring over Spire, if you can believe it," she said.

"Really? Already?" Sam asked in surprise.

Catherine nodded. "Atrus has been interested in hearing about Sirrus's experiments there, but he was too polite to ask. I think Sirrus could tell, though, because he finally offered some information a couple of weeks ago."

"I really am surprised. I thought that would never get brought up."

"So did I," Catherine agreed. "But you should see them. They're both enthralled." The tram came to a halt outside Atrus's workshop. As Catherine got out, she added, "Yeesha is on Serenia right now, so you can use her room. And I don't expect Atrus and Sirrus to come out of Atrus's study until dinnertime."

Sam laughed, swinging her small pack onto her back.

"That sounds like Atrus," she commented. Then, "I'm going to go get settled in. Let me know if you need any help with dinner."

Catherine nodded, smiling, and Sam set off down the walkway.

It was still strange to see the bedroom that Atrus had built for Sirrus nestled in the hillside above Yeesha's room. Somehow, it fit perfectly with the rest of the buildings, serving to complete the layout of Tomahna. Sam smiled to herself as she descended the walkway to Yeesha's room. A year ago, she wouldn't have believed unity to be possible.

Yeesha's room was, as usual, full of books and papers, but still quite neat. Sam set her pack down on the bed and looked around, breathing a deep sigh of contentment. There was an air of peacefulness around Tomahna, and it was already beginning to make her feel relaxed. The feeling was a good one, and she headed for the platform below the bedroom to be by the water and enjoy it for a while.

She wasn't particularly surprised when, about twenty minutes later, footsteps sounded nearby and Sirrus appeared beside her, folding himself into a sitting position without an invitation.

"I thought you and Atrus were wrapped up in research," Sam said without looking at him.

"We are," Sirrus replied. "I just wanted to say hello."

Sam waited for what she knew would come. Anything that Sirrus could think of to give himself an excuse to remain seated, he'd say. It had been that way when Sam visited six months ago, and, judging by the fact that Sirrus had torn himself away from quality time with Atrus just to come sit next to her, things hadn't changed.

Sirrus cleared his throat. "Look, er, I was going to go hiking after dinner. Would you like to come with me?"

Refusal was on the tip of Sam's tongue, but it retreated when she glanced sideways at Sirrus. He looked so hopeful and eager that Sam couldn't bring herself to disappoint him.

"All right," she said, a bit resignedly. "I'll come. But don't you dare try to hold my hand again."

Sirrus grinned a grin that made him look like a complete idiot and stood up.

"I'll see you later, then," he said.

"Yes," Sam replied, trying to keep her tone neutral.

She waited until she was sure that Sirrus was out of earshot before she laughed. She knew Catherine encouraged this sort of thing, but really, it was ridiculous. Even if they were both twenty years younger, it would still be ridiculous. Every time Sirrus got within ten feet of her, he behaved like a deranged teenager, and it was starting to get on Sam's nerves. Reformed he may be, but he was still Sirrus.

Sam pushed these thoughts from her head and looked out at the water, letting Tomahna work its calming effect on her.

* * *

At dinner, Atrus and Sirrus made the surprising announcement that they were planning to link to Spire soon to retrieve the remains of some of Sirrus's experiments there. Sam could tell that Catherine didn't like the idea, and she had a sneaking suspicion that Atrus would be hearing about it later on.

However, Atrus and Sirrus seemed oblivious to how strange their plan sounded, and they continued to discuss Spire's eccentricities in terms so technical that Sam and Catherine could hardly follow what they were saying.

As soon as the dishes were cleared from the table, Sirrus wanted to go hiking. With some reluctance, Sam went with him, trying to ignore the way Catherine smiled at them as they left the kitchen.

Once they were on their way, Sam asked, "Do you really think it's such a good idea to go back to Spire so soon?"

Sirrus shrugged. "Father's interested in the properties of the Age, and he never got to explore it as much as he wanted to. And since I'm familiar with it, I can show him where to find what he wants to study."

Sam was surprised that he could talk about it so calmly. Despite his change of heart, she doubted that anyone could get over twenty years of imprisonment in only twelve months. However, she knew that it was probably a good idea not to voice these doubts. So all she said was,

"I hope you've both thought this through."

"It's all that we discussed today," Sirrus replied. "I wish you wouldn't worry; you're as bad as Mother."

"I don't think Catherine worries because she doubts you," Sam said, responding more to Sirrus's tone than his words. "I think she worries because she's your mother."

Sirrus said nothing and turned his attention back to hiking. Sam couldn't help noticing how much less meticulous he was about his appearance now. He was far from being a slob, but there was a definite tendency towards comfort in his dress and posture that Sam never would have expected to see in someone like him. She supposed he had been working towards it over the past year. Strange; it almost made him look nice.

They came at last to Sirrus's favorite spot, a place that Sam had to wonder if Atrus even knew existed. It was a beach, far out beyond the main part of Tomahna, where no trees grew and sparkling blue water beat endlessly on red-brown sand. Sirrus loved it so much that his bedroom had been built facing its approximate direction, despite the fact that it couldn't be seen from any of the buildings in Tomahna.

He sat down on the sand now, facing the water and closing his eyes, letting the wind blow through his hair. Sam had seen him do so once before, six months ago. In that moment, he was an entirely different person than she'd ever known him to be. That was why she had almost let him hold her hand then. Almost, but not quite.

Now she stood a little way away, watching the waves roll onto the beach. She had to admit that this place was serene, a little refuge to escape to when things went wrong, or when nothing was wrong and you just wanted to experience unbridled beauty. Again, she had to wonder if Atrus knew of its existence.

"Sirrus," she said suddenly.

"Hmm?" Sirius said without opening his eyes.

"When you were on Spire, what did you think about?" It was a stupid question, and Sam couldn't fathom where it had come from.

"When I wasn't plotting destruction, you mean?" Sirrus's ton held a hint of humor.

"Well…yes," Sam said, feeling embarrassed.

Sirrus leaned back in the sand and watched the waves thoughtfully.

"Haven," he said at last.

"You've got to be kidding," Sam said in surprise.

Sirrus shook his head. "After I figured out what was going on, I started to wonder if I'd have fared better on Haven."

"A 'grass is always greener' thing," Sam said.

"Yes."

"No offense, but I think you'd have gotten eaten ten minutes after linking in."

Sirrus laughed a little. "Maybe. Achenar always was better suited to nature."

They fell silent. Achenar's name didn't come up often in conversation, and Sam was still unsure how to react to it. So she looked out at the water, rocking back on her heels.

"How the hell is there even a beach here?" she found herself asking.

Sirrus shrugged, causing his hands to slide back into the sand. "Who knows? Maybe there isn't. Maybe it's an oasis."

"Or maybe we're imagining it," Sam joked.

"I could live with that."

Sam could tell as Sirrus said this that he really meant it. This was his place, he loved it…

And he kept bringing her to it. The implications of this were unsettling, though Sam had known about them to some extent already. She was still wondering what to do about it.

For now, she just settled herself in the sand a reasonable distance from Sirrus and enjoyed the peace and quiet until he was ready to hike back.


	2. Spire

**Chapter 2 – Spire**

By the time Sam got up the next morning, Atrus and Sirrus were already sequestered in Atrus's study, apparently going over plans for their trip to Spire.

"Did they even eat?" Sam asked Catherine with half a grin as the two of them shared breakfast.

"I can only hope," Catherine laughed. "When Atrus gets like this, sometimes I hardly see him. Sirrus is the same way lately."

"Sounds kind of lonely for you," Sam remarked.

"Yeesha keeps me busy a lot of the time," Catherine replied. "So it all works out."

Sam wasn't entirely sure she believed this, but she didn't comment. She tapped her fork on her plate for a moment, staring at the wall, then said suddenly,

"I have to ask. Why is Sirrus so keen on me? I know I act like I think it's funny, but it's a little unsettling how serious he seems to be."

"He sees you as the person who saved him," Catherine replied.

Sam raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Last year, when we were all in turmoil over his return, you paid him the most attention," Catherine reminded her. "When the tension got to be too much for Atrus and me, you were the one who talked to him. He's convinced that he never would have fit into the family again if it wasn't for you."

"Well, I don't know about that," Sam said. "Sounds a little overdramatic to me. I just tried to get him to stop acting like an idiot. I wasn't even that nice to him."

"That doesn't seem to have bothered him," Catherine said with a small smile. Then her eyebrows drew together thoughtfully. "Is it a problem, him liking you?"

"If you're asking whether he's intruding on another relationship, then no," Sam shook her head. "But…how do I explain this? He's Sirrus. He may be a changed man now, but when you get right down to it, he's still Sirrus. Add to that the fact that he's the son of two of my closest friends…it's awkward." She sighed. "And it's nearly impossible to say no to him when he asks me to go hiking and things."

"He certainly seems earnest," said Catherine.

"I think that's an understatement," Sam replied. She put her fork down and got up. "Do you need any help with the dishes?"

Catherine shook her head, a little surprised at this abrupt end to the conversation. "I'll be fine."

"All right," Sam sighed again. "I'm sorry to cut out on you like this. I just…need to think."

Catherine's expression changed to a knowing smile and she stood up, as well, gathering the dishes. Sam tried not to roll her eyes as she left the kitchen.

Was Sirrus's apparent affection a problem? The truth was, Sam didn't know. Sure, right now it was just hiking and the occasional squelched attempt at handholding—childhood stuff, really—but if it got any more serious than that, what would happen? At what point would she have to look at that hopeful expression and say no? And would she be able to?

What made it harder was that Catherine obviously wanted _something _to happen. As for Atrus…he probably didn't notice, but Sam was almost certain he'd have something to say if he did.

Sam shook her head. She felt stupid for dwelling on something like this. Tomahna _was _a big part of her life, but, on the other hand, most of her life went on an appreciable distance away. It was all quite a dilemma.

Her wandering feet had led her to the courtyard outside of Atrus's study. This time of year, plants grew thickly around the railing, offering shade from the heat of the rising sun. Sam sat down on the bench and looked out between the leaves, trying to calm her thoughts.

A few minutes later, a door opened behind her. She turned to see Atrus emerging from his study with a journal tucked under one arm.

"Oh, hello, my friend," he said when he caught sight of her. "Is everything all right?"

Sam nodded, not feeling like getting into another discussion at the moment.

"Just fine," she said. "How about with you? Have you and Sirrus decided when you're going to link to Spire?"

It was Atrus's turn to nod. "Next week. We have a few more preparations to make before we can go."

Something in his tone made Sam ask, "Catherine's still not happy about it, is she?"

"She thinks it's still too early, but she won't say that she doesn't want us to go." Atrus sighed. "I've thought about that a lot."

"But you're still going."

"Sirrus wants to go," Atrus said. He walked over to the railing and leaned his arms on it, staring out into the leaves. "I want to go. But I don't want to upset Catherine. I'm afraid she thinks we'll but putting our current stability in jeopardy if we deliberately venture into the past."

"She just wants everyone to be happy," Sam said, half to herself.

"Yes," Atrus sighed again. "I wish she would speak with Sirrus. This trip is very important to him, and I think he could lay Catherine's doubts to rest."

Sam only nodded. It was obvious that Sirrus spent more time with Atrus than with Catherine; just how much more, Sam hadn't fully realized.

Instead of voicing this thought, she said, "I wish I could be here when you go. You'll have to write and tell me about it."

"You don't think it's a bad idea?" Atrus asked, seeming unable to let the subject drop.

Sam sighed. "I won't lie; I do think it's a bit early. But I trust that you wouldn't decide to go if you and Sirrus hadn't worked out what needed to be worked out." She smiled a little. "So stop worrying."

Atrus chuckled, apparently laughing at himself. Then, out of the blue, he said,

"Sirrus cares for you, you know."

_Not this again, _Sam thought with a sigh.

"Yes, I know," she said, possibly more pointedly than was necessary.

Unlike Catherine, Atrus didn't attempt to push the matter. Instead, he said, "Come and see some of the things we've been working on," and motioned for Sam to follow him back into his study. Sam did so, glad for the distraction.

Before she knew it, evening came, and it was already time to go home.

"It's too bad you can't stay longer," Catherine said as Sam was gathering her things.

"Normally I would," Sam replied, "but I have some things at home that need my attention right now." She swung her bag onto her shoulder and smiled. "I'll come back when I can."

Catherine smiled, as well. "You know you're always welcome here."

"I appreciate that."

* * *

A week later, Atrus and Sirrus linked to Spire. 

When Yeesha had found out about their plans, Atrus had expected her to want to come, too. Instead, she had said she thought it was important that he and Sirrus were making the trip together, but she offered no more than that. Catherine was always slightly worried when Yeesha made these vague statements, but, as Yeesha didn't seem upset, she let Atrus and Sirrus go without argument.

Anyone watching as they linked to the Age at the very pinnacle of its peak and began to make their way carefully downward wouldn't have believed that father and son had a twenty-year rift in their past. Nor would it be easy to believe that this place of stone and clouds had so much to do with that rift.

Atrus and Sirrus moved through the upper reaches of Spire like children on a playground. Several times, one or both of them broke the heavy, storm-filled silence of the Age with an excited exclamation. For the first time in two years, footsteps and voices rang in the barren landscape.

Sirrus was surprised at how easy it was to walk around the place that had been his prison for twenty years. Somehow, now that he was looking at it from the perspective of an explorer, it held a sort of promise, an electric excitement at being able to rediscover his own work outside of its original negative context. Within the old, unsettling work he'd done, there lay premises and deductions that could be used for other, better things.

It was only when he and Atrus descended to the lower levels that it became apparent that something was wrong. Large chunks of rock were scattered throughout the area that Sirrus had once used as a lab and bedroom. One had dropped next to one of his control panels and shattered, leaving shards of green crystal embedded in the panel itself. The large rock ship that had been the only form of transportation through the turbulent atmosphere of the Age was lying nose-down on the remains of one of the giant magnets that were meant to keep it airborne.

Sirrus took all this in with his mouth open, dumbstruck.

"What happened here?" he managed at last.

Atrus was walking around one of the chunks of rock, also seeming puzzled.

"Something must be out of balance," he said slowly, pausing to squint up at the sky, where more of the black rocks floated. "These shouldn't be coming down."

Sirrus was suddenly acutely aware of the several tons of rocks floating overhead. In his twenty years on Spire, he'd never seen one fall. That they had apparently done so in the recent past was unnerving, to say the least.

Apparently thinking along the same lines, Atrus asked, "Did any ever come down before?"

"No," Sirrus shook his head. "Whenever I wanted one, I had to chain it down."

"Hmm." Atrus took a notebook out of his pack and began jotting things down. Sirrus wandered around after him, staring at the wreckage, still almost too surprised to speak. Part of him was upset that so much of his work had been destroyed. Another part was thinking that, if things had gone differently over the past couple of years, he might still be stuck here, with these disasters going on around him.

Thunder rumbled overhead, and both Sirrus and Atrus glanced upwards apprehensively. What was once normal on Spire now had the distinct possibility of becoming deadly.

"Do you think we should leave?" Sirrus called.

Atrus nodded as he stowed his notebook back in his pack. "Yes. This looks like it could be a very dangerous storm."

Sirrus looked up again and saw that the rocks overhead were bouncing off each other with light, but unnerving, movements. He and Atrus hastened for the elevator as the first drops of rain began to fall.

By the time the elevator reached the top of the shaft, it was pouring. They headed for the linking chamber as fast as they dared, with treacherously wet rock underfoot the whole way.

"This isn't normal!" Sirrus shouted over the din. Atrus could only shake his head to agree. The hurried pace and the pounding of the rain left him breathless.

They reached the linking chamber. Upon arrival, Atrus had replaced the old Tomahna linking book with one that linked directly back to his study. He and Sirrus linked through as quickly as they could and arrived back near Atrus's desk, panting and streaming water.

"What _happened_?" Sirrus managed at last. "I never saw it rain like that there."

"The balance of the Age is delicate. There shouldn't be storms that severe," Atrus replied, frowning thoughtfully. "That may be why the rocks are coming down. I doubt they can withstand that kind of force."

"So much for that, then," Sirrus said resignedly. "If it's been raining that hard, I doubt any of my experiments survived."

But Atrus was still looking thoughtful.

"There must be some was to stop it," he mused.

Sirrus recognized his expression. It was one that often led to long nights of painstaking research, and, this time, he didn't think it was worth it.

"We did what we went there to do, Father," he said, hoping to stem any crazy ideas before they formed. "We had a look around, and there's really nothing salvageable."

Atrus shook his head a little. "I know. It's just…a waste, that's all."

"Unfortunately, yes," Sirrus agreed, though he was pretty sure that Atrus was referring to Spire was a whole rather than the ruined experiments it housed.

* * *

Sirrus tried not to be annoyed by how relieved Catherine looked when he and Atrus relayed the details of their trip. He knew how concerned she had been about the whole thing, but at the same time, it felt like she didn't trust him somehow. 

The feeling faded as life returned to normal. Surprisingly enough, Atrus seemed to have let go of Spire, aside from a few technical questions. Sirrus answered these readily enough, and Atrus seemed satisfied. And so life in Tomahna went on.


	3. Plans

**Author's Note:** Sorry this took so long! I haven't had a lot of time to work on this, but it's coming along. I'm working a bit on chapter 4 right now, so bear with me; there will be more!

* * *

My friend, 

Unfortunately, the trip Sirrus and I made to Spire was unfruitful. The Age is breaking down, and we were unable to retrieve any of Sirrus's work.

I regret that such a unique Age will soon be lost, but I suppose all books must close, some more literally than others.

I hope you are well, and that will see you soon.

Atrus

* * *

Atrus, 

I'm sorry to hear about Spire. I know how much care you put into your Ages. It must be difficult to know you have to part with one.

But, as you said, books close. Life goes on. You're always so busy; I'm sure you'll have a new project underway soon enough.

Sam

* * *

Sam,

I write this letter with the utmost urgency. Father is missing. He was in his workshop when Mother and I went to see Yeesha off to Serenia yesterday, but when we came back, he was gone.

I am convinced that he had gone to Spire, and the fact that he hasn't returned leads me to believe that something has gone wrong.Mother won't speak to me about this. I think she believes that I somehow had something to do with it.

Please come to Tomahna as soon as you can I need your help.

Sirrus

* * *

Sirrus, 

I feel like I should have seen this coming. Atrus is too committed to his work to just let something like Spire go. On the other hand, disappearing without warning is unlike him. I'm afraid you may be right and that something is seriously wrong.

I'll be there as soon as I can.

Sam

* * *

**Chapter 3 – Plans**

Sirrus was waiting in the tram when Sam arrived. Had circumstances not been what they were, Sam would have found this irritating, but she barely noticed as she climbed in beside him.

"Atrus still hasn't come back?" she asked anxiously.

Sirrus shook his head. "I have no idea what to do. Mother's taken the Spire book and is trying to work out what's wrong with the Age. She won't let me anywhere near it. I understand her not wanting me to link in, but she won't even let me help."

"That's unlike her," Sam mused, frowning. "She must be scared to death."

"The worst part is, I don't know how I _could _help," Sirrus went on as if he hadn't heard. "The Art is complete gibberish to me. I wouldn't know something was wrong even if it was staring me in the face."

"And there's no such thing as a crash course in D'Ni," said Sam.

"No."  
"So what can we do?"

"As soon as Mother finds out what's wrong, I'm linking in," Sirrus replied.

Sam's eyebrows went up in alarm. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"What other option do I have? Mother can't make any serious structural changes to the Age while Father is there; it could kill him." Sirrus shook his head. "Once I have an little information to go on, I can come up with a plan to get him out."

"You realize that you could get killed in the process?" Sam asked. It was a morbid thing to point out, but she had to make sure Sirrus was thinking straight.

He nodded. "But if I don't go, Mother will, and I can't let her do that."

Sam considered the possible implications of this as Sirrus docked the tram. Either he wanted to prove that he was a good person, or he cared enough about Catherine to risk his own life to bring Atrus back to her. Maybe it was a little of both.

The instant the tram stopped, Sirrus disappeared into Atrus's workshop. Sam almost followed him, but decided against it and went to find Catherine instead.

She was sequestered in Atrus's study with the door locked. Sam had to knock several times before Catherine glanced up from the book she was pouring over. When she caught sight of Sam, she sprang up form the desk and opened the door.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I wasn't expecting you."  
_I'm sure you weren't, _Sam thought, finding that she was angry. She tried to curb the feeling as she entered the study, but there was still and edge to her voice when she asked,

"Have you found out what's wrong yet?"

Catherine looked surprised for a moment. She cast a glance at the desk, which was strewn with papers and smaller books in addition to the large book she had been looking at.

"Oh," she said, trying to regain her composure, "Sirrus must have told you."

"That's why I'm here," Sam replied as levelly as she could. When Catherine gave her another surprised look, she ran a hand through her hair and sighed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be angry. I guess the situation is putting me on edge, but," she sighed again, "I have to ask. Why aren't you and Sirrus working on this together? Wouldn't the best way to handle this be to band together—Yeesha, too?"

Catherine shook her head. "This is too delicate of a situation to bring Yeesha into just yet."

"And what about Sirrus?" Sam persisted. "He spent twenty _years _on Spire. He's bound to know something useful about it."

Catherine looked down at her hands.

"That's part of what has me worried," she murmured.

"You can't blame him for this." The words were out before Sam could stop them.

"I know. Part of me wants to think he had nothing to do with it, but another part…" Catherine sighed, shaking her head. "I can't help but wonder if he's just been biding his time."

"You think he's spent this past year plotting revenge?" Sam asked incredulously.

"It's not impossible," Catherine replied.

Sam shook her head slowly. "I don't see it happening. Sirrus values this family too much now to deliberately do something to jeopardize it. He's worried sick about Atrus."

"So am I," Catherine's voice was nearly a whisper.

"All the more reason for the two of you to work on this together," Sam pointed out. To her surprise, Catherine rounded on her, her eyes brimming with tears

"Why are you defending him?" she demanded.

"Because, despite my best efforts, I know him well enough to tell when he's lying. And he's not. He's scared." Sam rubbed her eyes. "And, I guess, he's my friend." It was almost embarrassing to admit. Even after the events of the past year, Sam hadn't thought she'd ever put "Sirrus" and "friend" in the same sentence.

Catherine turned back to the desk and started shuffling papers as if she could find answers in them.

"So you're on his side, then?" she asked. The question was so unlike her that it took Sam a moment to find her voice.

"There aren't any sides in this situation," she said finally. "I want Atrus to come back safely as much as you do. Pointing fingers isn't going to make that happen."

Catherine shook her head and turned away, unable to protest. Sam stood in the silence for a moment, decided this would get her nowhere, and left the room.

She entered Atrus's workshop a few minutes later. As her eyes adjusted to the gloom, she spied Sirrus standing near the crystal viewer with what looked like a journal in his hand.

"I spoke to Catherine," Sam said as she walked over to him. "You were right. She thinks this is your fault."

"Did you think I was lying?" Sirrus asked without taking his eyes off the journal.

Sam shook her head. "I just…didn't want to believe it. It's a ridiculous way to behave, considering the circumstances."

"I don't suppose I should expect her to be rational," Sirrus said, though he sounded a little hurt. He started moving levers and pushing buttons on the crystal viewer, glancing at the journal as he did so.

Sam looked over his shoulder. The colored pattern on the page was somewhat familiar.

"Trying to get a look at Spire?" she asked.

Sirrus nodded as the last crystal clinked into place. He pulled another lever and the view screen crackled to life. He and Sam watched it anxiously, waiting for a picture to resolve itself out of the static. Sam could tell that he was holding his breath.

Finally, a view of Spire materialized, although it wasn't nearly as clear as the pictures Sam remembered Atrus getting on the viewer. The static didn't entirely disappear; it crackled across the screen sporadically, making it difficult to get a good look at the Age.

What could be seen seemed to be the same area that Sam had used the viewer to look at two years previously. She remembered there being a statue of some kind, something Sirrus had carved to depict a childhood memory. From what she could see now, it seemed that the statue was still there, but in pieces. The crystal figure of Atrus lay on its side, and what had been an image of the fountain on Myst was now a mass of shards with a large, black rock in the middle.

Sam heard Sirrus suck in a breath between his teeth. She turned to look at him and found that he was rocking back on his heels, his face tinted a sickly green.

"It's getting worse," he whispered, his voice early inaudible. "There wasn't damage that far up when we went."

Sam put a hand on his arm, meaning to steady him. It looked as thought he may pass out at any moment.

"Hey," she said, trying to be soothing, "Atrus is resourceful. For all we know, he's just holed up somewhere in the Age, waiting for whatever has him stuck to blow over."

Sirrus looked down at her, his face so sick with worry that Sam couldn't help feeling sorry for him.

"You don't really believe that," he said, his voice still quiet.

"I want to," Sam replied. She realized that she was still touching Sirrus's arm and quickly dropped her hand to her side. She didn't have the energy to deal with what Sirrus might read into the gesture if he consciously noticed it.

Fortunately, he didn't. He was back to watching the fuzzy picture on the crystal viewer, still looking faintly green.

"What are we going to do?" he said, half to himself.

An idea had been rolling around in the back of Sam's mind since she had talked to Catherine, and now it seemed to be getting clearer.

"I think we need to get Yeesha here," she said.

Sirrus's head snapped up in surprise. "Yeesha?"

Sam nodded. "I don't see the point in leaving her out of things. Catherine won't like it, but if you link to Spire, I'm coming with you, and I don't want to leave her alone."

"You're…coming with me?" Sirrus repeated slowly.

"That's what I said."

"Why?" It sounded as though Sirrus couldn't wrap his mind around this decision.

"Because Atrus is one of my closest friends. I want to see that he gets back safely. And," Sam sighed, "I don't think it's a good idea for you to go alone."

Sirrus frowned, looking upset. "You don't trust me, either?"

"It's not that," Sam shook her head. "I just…don't want you getting hurt." She cringed inwardly, hoping her words wouldn't give Sirrus the wrong idea.

"Me?" Sirrus exclaimed. "What about you? I know Spire well enough to go on my own."

"I know it, too, to some extent," Sam insisted stubbornly. "We can look out for each other, if it makes you feel any better."

There didn't seem to be anything Sirrus could say to argue with this. Sam knew that he didn't object to her company. She would have thought he'd jump at the chance to have her tag along to Spire. It was surprising that he seemed to genuinely care about her safety.

"What am I going to tell Mother?" Sirrus asked suddenly.

Sam shook her head. "I'll deal with that." _As soon as I figure out what to say,_ she added mentally.

"Thank you," Sirrus looked relieved. Then he turned his attention back to the crystal viewer, his face twisting with worry.

As Sam took the elevator back towards Atrus's study, she wondered exactly how she had managed to once again become the mediator between Sirrus and the rest of the family.


	4. The Book

**Chapter 4 – The Book**

Sam's conversation with Catherine didn't go well. Catherine had so thoroughly convinced herself that Sirrus somehow had a hand in Atrus's disappearance that she refused to let him anywhere near the Spire Book. Sam didn't even mentioned Yeesha, knowing that the idea of bringing her into things would only upset Catherine more. So, when she left Atrus's study, she was pretty much back to where she'd started.

She paced the walkways, thinking. There was no way to resolve the situation without upsetting someone, and that was how it was going to have to be. Catherine's fear was obviously affecting her judgment. Shutting Sirrus and Yeesha out of everything wasn't going to bring Atrus home any sooner or any safer.

Sam wondered what Atrus would want her to do. It was difficult to know exactly, since her perception of the problem was colored by the decisions she'd already made and what _she _thought was best, but she was certain that Atrus wouldn't want his family divided. That very thing had torn him apart for twenty years, and reverting back to that…

Sam shook her head. Any more time spent debating was more time that Atrus was trapped on Spire. The only thing to do now was act.

"You'll have to be the one to get Yeesha," Sirrus told her once she'd returned to Atrus's workshop and explained her decision.

"They still don't like you on Serenia, huh?" Sam asked, smiling a bit despite herself.

"Not much, no," Sirrus replied. He was still fiddling with the crystal viewer, apparently trying to make the picture clearer.

"When do you think I should go?" Sam asked.

"Soon. Tomorrow morning, if you can," Sirrus replied.

This caught Sam off guard. "But we don't know what's wrong with—"

"I can't keep waiting!" Sirrus cut her off, his voice rising with every word.

Sam stared at him. The anger in his eyes wasn't directed at her.

"Why are you blaming yourself?" she asked quietly.

Sirrus sighed and looked at the floor. "Who else can I blame? I never should have told Father about my experiments. I should have left well enough alone."

"You think Atrus never would have gone back to Spire if you hadn't told him that stuff?" Sam said. "He's curious and technical, and that's the way he's always been. We're never going to get anywhere if you and Catherine spend all your time beating yourselves up over this."

"I know," Sirrus sighed again. "I know that. This just…this isn't easy for me."

Sam knew what he meant. Compassion, worry, a desire to help—all these emotions were still relatively new to Sirrus, and suddenly being in the middle of a situation that fired all of them off at once must be confusing on top of being upsetting.

"Let's just concentrate on one thing at a time for now," Sam suggested. "I'll go to Serenia in the morning, and then we can work out whatever needs to be worked out so that we can link to Spire."

Sirrus nodded. "All right."

* * *

Sam had a love-hate relationship with Serenia. The Age itself had a strange sort of beauty. Walking through the stone forest and listening to the water made her feel at peace. 

On the other hand, there were the Sisters, the mystic residents of Serenia who put their faith in the memories of their ancestors. The solemn, knowing looks they gave Sam every time they saw her made her extremely uncomfortable. She always had the feeling that they knew a lot more than they let on. The only one who didn't make her feel this way was Anya, and so she was glad to find that was who Yeesha was with when she arrived on Serenia.

Anya and Yeesha were sitting outside the memory chamber when Sam came down the path. When Anya caught sight of Sam, she immediately looked worried, and Sam felt her own stomach drop a bit. This wasn't going to be easy.

Seeing Anya's expression change, Yeesha looked up. Then she looked from Sam, to Anya, and back again, seeming confused.

"What's wrong?" she asked before Sam could even say hello.

Sam sighed and sat down on the opposite bench, unsure how to broach the subject. She chewed her bottom lip for a moment before deciding that the best thing to do was come right to the point. She had a feeling that Yeesha would guess what was going on anyway if she tried to beat around the bush. So she explained the situation, including the fact that she had come to Serenia without Catherine's knowledge.

"Sirrus and I plan to find Atrus, but I don't want to leave Catherine alone while we're doing it," she concluded, a bit surprised that there had been no disapproval from Anya during the course of the explanation.

"And you don't want her to follow you," Yeesha added calmly, surprising Sam further.

"Right," she agreed. That possibility had never occurred to her, though it probably should have. "But if you think this is a bad idea, I want you to tell me. I'm not going to drag you into this if you don't want to be involved."

"I think it's important," Yeesha replied gravely. "When are you and Sirrus going to Spire?"

"As soon as we can. Probably tomorrow morning. We'd go today if there wasn't so much preparation involved." Sam heard the urgency in her own voice and realized that, despite whatever misgivings she had about linking to Spire without any knowledge of what was wrong there, this had to be done, and she wanted to do it.

Yeesha must have heard and understood the urgency, as well. Ten minutes later, she had her things together and she and Sam were trekking back through the stone forest to the linking chamber.

"You know your mother isn't going to be happy with me when she sees I've brought you home," Sam said as they walked. She had a feeling that Yeesha already had a better grasp of the situation than she did, but she wanted to make absolutely sure.

Yeesha nodded. "But it has to happen this way. The Ancestors told me."

"The Ancestors told you," Sam repeated slowly.

"Yeah. I was in Dream today, and they told me to do what has to be done, no matter what," Yeesha explained. "That was only about an hour before you came."

Sam said nothing. She still had trouble accepting the Serenians' unwavering faith in the wisdom of their ancestors, but since she had once received help from the Ancestors herself, she couldn't entirely discredit it. All that really mattered was that Yeesha understood the situation and was willing to help.

Sirrus was in Atrus's study when Sam and Yeesha linked in. There was no sign of Catherine other than the mess on the desk from the pervious day.

"Mother's locked herself in the bedroom," Sirrus said in response to Sam's unspoken question.

"With the Book," Sam guessed. Sirrus nodded as Yeesha went over to hug him.

"I'll go talk to her," she offered.

"Not alone, you won't," Sirrus countered.

"Maybe I should –" Sam started, but Sirrus cut her off with a shake of his head.

"I'll take the blame. Mother's already angry with me, so it won't make much of a difference."

Sam doubted that Catherine would get upset in front of Yeesha, but she let Sirrus go anyway. Once he and Yeesha had left the study, Sam want over to the desk, hoping to get some idea of what, if anything, Catherine had come up with regarding Spire.

Among the books and journals on the desk were several pieces of paper, all covered in a hurried scrawl that was quite unlike Catherine's usual careful script. The writing went in every direction, with the occasional quick sketch breaking the flow. Sam scanned one of the pages, looking for anything that made sense.

"_Magnetism?_" one note read, with an addendum of, "_no, too weak_". Next to that was, "_atmospheric—storms increasing—why?_", which was almost overlapped by, "_electricity in air—more? less? what effects?_" The entire page was like that, full of hasty notes and questions with no answers.

The rest of the papers weren't much better. By the time Sirrus came back to the study, all Sam had been able to find out was that Catherine was at as much of a loss as she was.

"I've never seen Mother look like that," Sirrus commented worriedly as he closed the door behind him.

Sam glanced up from the papers. "I take it she was upset?"

"That would be putting it mildly," Sirrus replied. "She didn't say anything, but…"

"If looks could kill, right," Sam nodded absently. She drummed her fingers on the edge of the desk for a moment before changing the subject.

"What do we need to bring to Spire?"

Sirrus raised an eyebrow. "That's assuming we can get the Book away from Mother."

"There's bound to be a moment or two when she's not giving it all her attention," Sam pointed out.

"I hate this," Sirrus shook his head. "It's crazy."

Sam sighed. "I don't like sneaking around, either, but Catherine's so scared and so out of it right now that she's going to end up doing more harm than good if we don't do something."

"What are we going to do if something's happened to Father?" Sirrus asked quietly.

"I don't want to think about that unless we absolutely have to," Sam replied. The possibility had been worrying her, too, but she knew it would cripple her ability to think straight if she dwelled on it for too long.

Sirrus blew out a breath. "Right. So, what _do _we need to bring to Spire?"

* * *

Sirrus and Sam were in and out of Atrus's study for most of the day. The two of them had never spent so much time together, but they were so absorbed in careful preparation for the trip to Spire that they barely noticed. 

Several times, Sam tried to refer to the pile of books that Catherine had been browsing, in the hopes that one of them would offer some useful information. She came up empty-handed every time. A good half of the books were Atrus's technical journals detailing various D'Ni phrases and their uses, none of which made sense to Sam or Sirrus. A few of the others, which also appeared to be journals, were written entirely in D'Ni. The only thing that made any sense at all was the book of commentary that Atrus had written about Spire, and it was of no help since he had written it over twenty years previously, when the Age was new.

In the end, Sirrus and Sam had to make educated guesses about what they would need to be safe on the Age, mainly going by what Sirrus and Atrus had discovered during their trip.

It was late afternoon by the time they finished. Sirrus was double-checking everything when Yeesha came through the door with a book under her arm. At first, Sam thought it was a journal of some kind, but it seemed too large. Her mouth dropped open in astonishment when she realized that she was looking at the red covers of the Spire Book.

"How did you manage to get that?" she asked in surprise. She and Sirrus had been making no headway in their plans for getting the Book away from Catherine.

"Get what?" Sirrus said absently. He hadn't heard Yeesha come in. He only looked up when she went over to the desk and set the Book down. His eyes widened.

"Mom fell asleep," Yeesha explained before Sirrus could repeat Sam's question. "She had it under her pillow. She didn't wake up when I took it, but I think you'd better link as soon as you can."

Sam blinked in surprise and glanced at Sirrus. He was staring at Yeesha with his mouth open, dumbstruck.

"You stole it from under Mother's pillow?" he managed at last.

"It's not like we had a better plan," Sam reminded him.

"Mother is going to figure out what happened as soon as she wakes up and finds we're not here," Sirrus answered.

"I'll be okay," Yeesha interjected. "I'm going to hide it so Mom won't follow you. She'll understand."

Neither Sirrus nor Sam believed this, but there was no time to argue or make alternate plans. Yeesha was right; they had to link to Spire before Catherine woke up and tried to stop them. Sirrus hurriedly finished checking what they had packed and, just to be on the safe side, Sam scrawled a note to Catherine.

"Ready?" Sirrus asked her a moment later.

Sam nodded as she pulled her pack onto her shoulders. In truth, she would have liked more time to prepare, but there was nothing they could do about that now. This was their chance, and with the way things had been going, they wouldn't get another one.

Yeesha hugged both Sirrus and Sam and wished them good luck. Once they had linked, she carefully closed the Spire Book and set off to find a good place to hide it.

* * *

Catherine, 

I'm sorry if anything that Sirrus and I have done is upsetting you, but we have only one goal: to bring Atrus home safely. I promise you that we will do just that.

I hope you can understand.

Sam


	5. Worry

**Author's Note: **Sorry this is such a short one. I thought about adding more, but it seemed fine the way it was. This one gave me a lot of trouble, so please let me know what you think!

* * *

**Chapter 5 – Worry**

Spire was eerily calm when Sirrus and Sam arrived in the linking chamber at the top of the Age. Sam stared at her surroundings in shock. The chamber had been mostly ruined to begin with, but now half the floor was gone. It looked as though the rock had simply crumbled into the abyss below, leaving a jagged outcrop that she and Sirrus had linked onto, precariously close to the edge.

Sam's breath caught in her throat. She hated heights. The layout of Spire had bothered her when she'd first come to the Age, and this time was no different. She staggered back a few steps and nearly bumped into Sirrus, who was examining what was left of the chamber.

"The linking book that was here is gone," he was saying. "Father must have taken it with him, but if he still had it, he would have linked back by now." He paused, noticing Sam's distress. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Sam said, trying to compose herself. If she let her fear of heights get the better of her, the trip would be worthless.

After another moment or so, Sirrus stopped pacing the chamber and shook his head.

"There's nothing here," he said. "Let's go down."

This proved to be difficult. Spire's natural stairway was treacherous, and the recent instability of the Age had made it even worse. The rock had crumbled in a number of places, making the stairs an obstacle course of boulders and rubble. Sirrus and Sam had to pick their way down carefully, keeping as far away from the edge as possible. Sirrus frowned to himself as they slid over the loose stones.

"I don't understand what's causing this," he said. "The storms would have to be pretty bad to even get close to doing this much damage."

Sam could only nod and make a small, noncommittal noise in reply. The height was starting to make her feel dizzy. She tried to concentrate on finding footholds in the rubble, but her gaze was drawn inexorably to the left, where the rock dropped off into an endless, cloud-filled abyss. The sight made her heart race. She shut her eyes briefly, intending to take a deep breath to steady herself.

The rock pile she was standing on slid under her feet. Sam's eyes snapped open and her fingers started scrabbling for handholds even before she fully understood what was happening. Rock after rock came loose under her searching hands. Panic rose in her chest, and as one foot slid out over dizzying nothingness, she screamed.

The sound of scrambling footsteps joined the din of moving rock. A moment later, Sirrus's hands closed around Sam's wrists and hauled her up. Sam had one quick glimpse of his pale, concerned face before another wave of loose rock came thundering down the stairs and they had to run.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Sirrus pulled Sam behind a protective outcrop and held her close to his chest until the rock slide was over. Sam was too shaken to protest. The erratic beating of Sirrus's heart told her that he was in much the same condition.

Finally, the roar of falling rock quieted. Unsure of what else to do, Sam stood in Sirrus's arms, trying to slow her breathing. A moment later, Sirrus let go of her and stepped back, looking embarrassed.

"Are you all right?" he asked quietly.

Sam blew out a breath, nodding. "I think so. Are you?"

Sirrus nodded as well, but he looked worried. He turned to survey the ruined stairs.

"It's a good thing we don't need to get back up there," he said, a frown creasing his forehead.

"Hey," Sam said, coming to stand beside him, "Atrus is fine. We'll find him."

Sirrus looked at her, surprised. "I didn't say –"

"You didn't have to. It's written all over your face."

Sirrus made no reply. Instead, he hitched his pack up on his back and made his way across the rubble to where the remains of the crystal statue lay.

"It took me two years to carve this," he said quietly as he surveyed the wreckage. Sam watched him and smiled a bit despite the situation. He was so much like Atrus at times. It was plain that he was scared, but he wasn't wasting his energy on it. Instead, he was turning his attention to the task at hand. After looking at the ruined statue for a moment or two, he moved on to look around the rest of the area.

Sam did the same, but she moved much more slowly. It had been two years since she'd been to Spire, and eve then she hadn't had a very long time to explore the Age. Plus she was still shaken from the fall on the stairs, and wasn't keen on getting too close to any more potentially dangerous drops. She scouted around the safer places and soon found herself facing a stone pathway that was mostly intact. It led away from where she was standing to what looked like a deep archway.

"Where does this go?" she called to Sirrus.

"Elevator shaft," Sirrus called back. He was standing some way away, peering over some fallen stones. "Who knows what's happened to _that_."

"It's worth a look," Sam pointed out. She started down the stone path, walking warily and keeping her eyes on the archway. The path seemed solid enough, but it was all too easy to imagine the stone cracking and crumbling away into the abyss below. By the time Sam reached the archway, he heart was hammering at the thought of it, but she swallowed her fear as she pushed the blue crystal button that would bring the elevator up if it was still functional.

For a moment, it seemed that nothing was going to happen. Then suddenly, a quiet rumbling rattle began at the bottom of the shaft and started to get louder. The sound drew Sirrus away from the fallen stones, and he arrived beside Sam just in time to see the elevator reach the top of the shaft. The metal platform was split into two uneven pieces, each dangling from its supports. Sirrus swore under his breath.

"I was hoping there was some chance it still worked," he said. "That was the only reliable way down."

Something surfaced in Sam's memory. "Aren't there some sort of stone tubes, too? I remember there being one up here."

"There is," Sirrus nodded. "With the condition everything seems to be in, I'm not sure we can trust them. But," he sighed, "we should take a look, at least. In the morning."

Sam glanced up at the sky, puzzled. The light hadn't changed since they had linked in.

"Does it ever get dark here?"

"Not really. The moon had cycles, though," Sirrus pointed to the sky over the ruined staircase. The moon did seem to be getting lower.

Sam realized she was rather tired. After spending all day running around Tomahna burdened with worry about Atrus, and then all that had already happened here on Spire, she was ready for a rest.

There wasn't a place that would work as a natural shelter on the exposed plateau, so Sirrus and Sam ended up stretching a tarp between the remains of an archway and a few of the sturdier fallen rocks. Spire's nearly constant wind swirled around them, tugging at the tarp and making the job difficult. And, even if there had been anything to burn, the wind would have made a fire impossible, so for warmth they made due with the blankets they had packed.

Sam soon found that, despite being heavy and thick, the blankets weren't nearly enough. She huddled under one with her back to the remains of the crystal statue, shivering in the wind and wondering how she was ever going to manage to sleep on solid rock. The tarp bowed and snapped above her, adding to her discomfort. She curled up tighter and tried not to think about the fact that Sirrus was sleeping only a yard or so away.

In fact, Sirrus wasn't sleeping. He was lying awake with his hands behind his head, worrying. He knew that both he and Sam needed rest, but he couldn't help thinking that every minute they spent sleeping was another minute they could be looking for Atrus.

Sirrus wanted badly to find his father. After so many years of anger and hatred, they had finally started to bond, and to lose that would be hell. And Yeesha and Catherine…they _needed _Atrus, Yeesha because he was her father and Catherine because she loved him so much that her mind started to close in on itself at the thought of losing him. Going home without Atrus was not an option.

But Sirrus had to admit he was already finding it difficult, spending so much time with Sam. This trip was far different from their occasional hikes in Tomahna. There, he just wanted to be with her, but here he felt the need to protect her. After the rockslide, he had wanted to keep holding her until she stopped shaking, to tell her everything was all right and that he was there for her, but he knew that wasn't what she wanted. Sam was strong and independent; she always had been. The last thing she would want was Sirrus treating her like glass.

Sirrus sighed and sat up. In the fading moonlight, he could just barely make out Sam's sleeping form, huddled against fallen chunks of crystal and rock. As he watched, she drew in a sharp breath and turned over, pulling her blanket more tightly around her shoulders. It looked like she was shivering.

Sirrus watched for a moment longer before getting up, carrying his own blanket. He draped it carefully over Sam so as not to wake her, and then sat down beside her, elbows resting on his knees.

Maybe she didn't want him to care. Maybe she'd wake up later on and yell at him. It didn't matter. Right now, they were on the most unforgiving Age Sirrus had ever been to, and he wanted Sam to be all right. He didn't know why, but he figured he'd work that out later.


	6. The Storm

**Chapter 6 – The Storm**

When Sam awoke several hours later, it was to find Sirrus sitting next to her, asleep with his head resting against a rock. She rolled her eyes when she discovered that he had given her his blanket. It was a noble gesture, to be sure, but a stupid one, too. Sirrus was now the one shivering as the wind continued to whip through the space under the tarp. With a sigh, Sam got up and draped both blankets over him before setting out to do a bit of cautious exploring.

The moon had climbed in the sky again. Sam moved through the eerie blue light it cast. She found that she felt stiff and dirty. She wasn't used to sleeping on the ground, much less on rock, and she had no way to brush her hair and no changes of clothes. Even if she had brought something, there was nowhere private to change. Spire was entirely open to the elements; perhaps that was part of the reason why everything was deteriorating so fast.

Her wanderings led her to the metal walkway that connected the plateau to a distant chunk of rock with a large, white crystal sticking out of it. Sam vaguely remembered this part of Spire, and was surprised to find that everything was still intact. She was about to set off across the walkway when footsteps sounded behind her and Sirrus appeared, one blanket still wrapped around his shoulders.

"You're not cold?" he asked. Sam looked at him, raising an eyebrow. It was obvious from his expression that his question had nothing to do with what he was thinking. It was the same expression that he'd had when he saved her from the rock slide.

"Would you stop worrying? I'm fine," she said. "I'm just looking around, trying to refresh my memory."

With some effort, Sirrus's face went from worried to neutral and he slipped the blanket off his shoulders and started to fold it as if that was what he had meant to do all along.

"The first windpipe is down there," he said as he folded.

"And it leads to your lab," Sam recalled.

Sirrus nodded. "What's left of it, yes."

"Knowing Atrus, that's a good place to start. Let's pack up the tarp and go."

* * *

It didn't take Sirrus and Sam long to discover that the stone windpipe would be of no help. In case it was blocked, Sam had Sirrus lower her down on one of the lengths of rope they had brought, and sure enough, the windpipe had collapsed about halfway down. There was no way around the resulting plug of rock and debris. 

The only other way down was the elevator shaft. Getting down wasn't necessarily the difficult part; it was making sure they could get back up later if need be. Sam spent a good deal of time tying knots in the rope for hand and footholds wile Sirrus hunted for a suitable rock to use as a weight on the end. When that was done, they secured the rock to the rope and lowered the whole thing carefully down the shaft between the remains of the elevator platform. They had tied the other end of the rope to the supports of the shaft itself, as these seemed to be the most stable things available.

The area that had once been Sirrus's lab and bedroom was a mess, though it didn't appear to have suffered much damage since Sirrus and Atrus had been there. A few more rocks had fallen from the sky and the stone slab that had served as Sirrus's desk was overturned, but that was it.

"Father had to have come down here," Sirrus remarked, mostly to himself, as he poked around the remains of the desk.

"And since he's not here now, it means he's got to be farther down," Sam said. She was sitting nearby with her back against a pillar, watching the rocks in the sky. Their movement seemed normal enough, but something about them was making Sam uneasy.

"Well, we could put another rope down the elevator shaft, or we could check the second windpipe," Sirrus replied. Thunder rumbled overhead as he spoke. Sam glanced up again, but it was hard to tell whether or not the perpetual cloud layer was threatening rain. Sirrus looked up as well, his brow furrowed, and moved quickly over to the workbench.

"What are you looking for?" Sam asked him. She remained seated, eyes on the sky.

"Notebooks," Sirrus called back. "If I know Father, that's the first thing he'll ask about if he didn't already get to them himself."

Sam chuckled. Sirrus was right; no matter what the situation, Atrus's curiosity usually got the better of him. And if Spire continued to deteriorate at as quickly as it was now, this could be the last chance anybody had of saving what remained of Sirrus's work on the Age. She got up and joined him at the workbench as another rumble of thunder growled through the clouds.

The only notebook they found was one of Sirrus's old journals, much of which was now illegible. Sirrus flipped through the smudged pages and laughed a little.

"Father beat us to it," he said. "Not that I mind. I would have gotten them myself if we hadn't been rained out last ti—" He broke off when a fat drop of water spattered the page he was looking at. His eyes went to the sky in alarm.

Sam looked up, too. The gray clouds she had been observing only moments before had taken on a purple tinge. In the distance, they were boiling and rolling, and the rocks overhead were starting to grind together. It was the most threatening sky she had ever seen.

Beside her, Sirrus was hoisting his pack onto his back. "If we can get above this cloud layer before the storm gets worse, we'll be okay."

"Oh, _that's _reassuring," Sam muttered, reaching for her own pack. She swore under her breath when she realized she'd left it sitting by the pillar. She sprinted over to get it and only made it halfway back to where Sirrus was waiting before the sky opened up.

The force with which the rain hit was unlike anything Sam had ever felt before. The most violent of storms at home had nothing on the ferocity of the thousands of huge raindrops that were hurtling out of Spire's sky. It felt to Sam like she was being pummeled by beads of lead.

In the midst of the deluge, Sirrus somehow managed to get the tarp out of his pack and wrap it around both of them. It offered no protection from the force of the rain, but it did keep them from getting any wetter.

"Come on!" he yelled over the roar of the storm. He began to move as quickly as he could toward the only place on this level of Spire that was mostly enclosed. Sam ran with him, too dumbstruck by what was going on to argue.

Sirrus had once used the enclosed area to attempt to grow plants, and it was behind the remains of some of these that he and Sam crouched, panting, once they were out of the direct force of the rain. However, the roof overhead was not entirely waterproof, and freezing rivulets of water kept pouring through the cracks. After a few moments of this, Sirrus pulled the tarp around both of them again.

"Thanks," Sam said quietly. She was still recovering from the initial shock of the storm. Sirrus watched her for a moment, huddled next to him under the tarp, trying to pull the sodden legs of her pants back down over the boots she had worn in place of her usual sandals. She looked upset and, without a thought, Sirrus tried to put his arm around her.

Sam shrugged him off and scooted away from him as far as the tarp would allow. "All I said was 'thanks'. That doesn't mean you can touch me."

Sirrus blinked at her, hurt. "I just want you to be okay."

"I am okay," Sam insisted. "Or as okay as I can be while sitting in the middle of an apocalyptic storm. I don't need you to comfort me."

"Why are you always like this?" Sirrus demanded, his eyebrows drawing together.

"Like what?"

"Defensive!" Sirrus sighed roughly. "If you don't want me near you, say so. Don't just act offended when I try to touch you. It's insulting."

Sam looked away, absently rubbing her hands up and down her arms. For months now, she had been hoping that she could simply ignore Sirrus, and he would take the hint and stop trying to be close to her. But he hadn't, and now his feelings were hurt. It was his own fault, really, but Sam couldn't help feeling a little guilty. She could have said at the beginning that she had no romantic interest in him. That would have stopped anything before it started. But she had let him keep asking her on hikes and hadn't turned him away when he wanted to talk or any one of the million other things he did to try and spend time with her. She had let it all continue despite her inner conviction that Sirrus was annoying at best. Why?

Her thoughts were interrupted by a sound that cut across the pounding of the rain. It was a dull rumble, not unlike the thunder, and the stone underfoot trembled as the noise grew louder. Suddenly, water burst out of cracks in the walls all over the area, creating rushing streams and whirlpools that hadn't existed a moment ago. Sam watched with horrified fascination as a rock the size of her head was washed past Sirrus's workbench and into the abyss as if it were a pebble. She was still staring when Sirrus said,

"What's that?" and ventured out from under the tarp. He returned a moment later, sodden and gasping, with what appeared to be a book in his hands. Sam's curiosity got the better of her and she looked over Sirrus's shoulder as he opened the cover.

It had been a Tomahna linking book. Now, though, the linking panel was nothing more than a mass of static, and the pages of descriptive D'Ni text that followed were ruined. Sirrus stared at it for a long time before he said, very quietly,

"No wonder Father couldn't link home."

* * *

The rain finally let up some time later. Sirrus and Sam said nothing as they laid the tarp out over the workbench in the hopes that it would dry. Sam had a feeling that Sirrus's silence had more to do with his discovery of the waterlogged linking book than with their earlier argument, but all the same, she didn't want to push matters. 

The storm had deposited so much debris that it was almost impossible to move without the danger of sliding on loose, wet stone. Despite her best attempt to be careful, Sam slipped and fell on her way to retrieve her pack from where she and Sirrus had been sitting. As she was getting up, something on the ground caught her eye.

It was a pen, or half a pen. The tip was bent and most of the top had snapped off. Though there had been several pens on Sirrus's desk, Sam knew by gut instinct that this one belonged to Atrus. A quick searched turned up the other half of the pen a few yards away. On an impulse, Sam began to follow what had been the flow of the water.

She became increasingly alarmed by what she found. Among the bits of crystal and rock were no less than three other broken pens, several waterlogged sheets of paper, a shattered magnifying glass, and a small device that was mangled beyond recognition. All together, the collection was not unlike the usual clutter Atrus had on his workbenches.

Sam was suddenly seized by an unpleasant feeling of panic. Thus far, she and Sirrus had been operating on the confident assumption that Atrus was fine and all they had to do was find where on Spire he was and get him home. But something had to have happened to make Atrus lose so many of his things, including what was apparently the only linking book he had with him, and not be able to retrieve them. What if she and Sirrus were wrong and Atrus wasn't okay? What if their searching turned out to be futile? What if…

"Are we going to try the other windpipe?" Sirrus's question jarred Sam out of her dark train of thought. She stood up slowly, her eyes still on the small pile of Atrus's belongings. Sirrus followed her gaze and his eyebrows shot up.

"Where –"

Sam gestured behind her along the line of debris. "All along here. Sirrus," she turned and gave Sirrus a desperate look that he was surprised to see, "what if we don't find him?"

Sirrus shook his head slightly. "I can't even consider that possibility now. We've come this far. We'll find him."

"But we're not being realistic about this." Sam countered, unsure why she was arguing. "We might _not_ find him. I think we both knew going into this that it was a real possibility; we just didn't want to say so."

Sirrus gripped Sam's arms and brought his face level with hers. The fierce determination in his eyes made him look so much like his old self that Sam felt frightened for a moment. When Sirrus spoke, his voice was even and quiet.

"I love my father," he said, "and my mother, and my sister. I haven't felt that since I was a child. And if I don't find Father—if I _fail_—my family will fall apart. I can't live with the thought of that. Not any more. Things matter too much now."

It was the most heartfelt speech Sam had ever head him make. She stared at his face in surprise, seeing that, behind his burning resolve, there was worry and sadness. There was a good chance that he was near tears. The realization gave Sam a very strange feeling in the pit of her stomach that overrode her earlier panic.

"Well then," she replied, gently removing Sirrus's hands from her arms, "let's see about that windpipe."


	7. Reunion

**Author's Note:** Sorry this is such a short one. It gave me a bit of trouble, and I have an idea for chapter 8 that I really want to get working on. It's looking like this will have pretty much the same format as "Second Chances"; eight chapters and an epilogue.

If this chapter seems like it goes too fast, let me know. I have some plans for the epilogue that will help flesh out a couple of things.

* * *

**Chapter 7 – Reunion**

The second windpipe was clear of blockages and mostly intact. Again, Sirrus and Sam tied knots in a rope before using it to make their way down.

Sam emerged first and dropped to the floor on top of a small drift of crystal fragments that appeared to be the remains of what small amount of damage the windpipe had suffered.

The rest of the chamber hadn't fared as well. Several of the large, black stalactites on the ceiling had broken off, nearly destroying the mechanical chair that dominated the center of the floor. A rock slide had obliterated the opening that led to the elevator shaft, and there was clear evidence of water damage to the cables that ran away from it.

Sirrus dropped down behind Sam and surveyed the damage.

"It looks like there was a flood down here," he said after a moment.

Sam only nodded. She was trying to remember the layout of Spire's lower levels. As far as she could recall, the mechanical chair had been the only means of descent from this chamber. That meant Atrus had to be on this level somewhere. Her heart jumped uncomfortably in her chest as she scanned the chamber. It was much smaller than the other places she and Sirrus had already searched; surely there should be some visible sign that Atrus had made it down this far?

Sirrus seemed to be thinking along the same lines. He paced the perimeter of the chamber once, muttering to himself and occasionally shaking his head. Sam watched him silently. Finally, he said,

"There's no chance of the chair still working, so Father _must_ be down here."

"Where?" Sam tried to keep the worry out of her voice as she posed the question. "This is it. You can see the whole chamber from—what was that?"

"What was what?" Sirrus asked. Sam cocked her head to one side.

"I thought I heard something," she said slowly. She and Sirrus stood as still as they could, listening. Somewhere overhead, a stream of water ran through the walls. Then suddenly, Sam heard the sound again. It was muffled, but close by.

"Was that a voice?" Sirrus whispered.

Sam nodded and found herself shouting, "Atrus?" before she could think. Relief lit up Sirrus's face and he called out, too:

"Father?"

They held their breath, listening again as the echoes of their voices died away. And, very faintly, a reply came.

"Over here!"

It took another minute or so and a few more exchanged shouts, each of which was more excited and relieved than the last, before Atrus's muffled voice directed Sirrus and Sam to the blocked elevator shaft.

"Are you all right?" Sirrus and Sam asked the question almost at the same time once they were right up against the fallen rocks.

"Well, I'm a bit hungry," Atrus replied. It sounded like he was in fairly good spirits despite his situation.

"How the heck did you get stuck here?" Sam asked as she and Sirrus began moving rocks. Scraping sounds from inside the shaft suggested that Atrus was doing the same.

"I only meant to come for a half an hour at the most," Atrus replied. "I had a thought about what might be going wrong here, and I wanted to have a look to see if it made sense."

"We found the linking book," Sirrus interjected. "What happened?"

"I got caught in a flash flood ten minutes after I linked in," Atrus said with a thin chuckle. "I should have been prepared, but I didn't expect things to have gotten so much worse since we were last here. I lost my pack, and when I managed to track it down, the only things left in it were a notebook, a pen, and a water bottle. I don't suppose the linking book survived?"

"No, it's ruined," Sirrus replied. "Have you been looking for it all this time?"

"I gave up after a day or so," said Atrus. "I just had to hope someone would figure out what had happened and come looking."

Sam saw the pained look that crossed Sirrus's face, but said nothing. They continued carefully moving rocks for a while, until a sudden silence from inside the elevator shaft indicated that Atrus had stopped.

"Father?" Sirrus called through the rock, concerned.

"I'm fine. Just a little tired," Atrus replied. "And I'm sorry, I should have asked before. Are you two all right?"

"A little wet and chilly, but no worse for the wear," Sam was the one to reply. She was starting to wonder how much rock they were going to have to move when, just as Sirrus was carrying another chunk of debris away, there was a deep groan and the entire rockslide collapsed outward in a cloud of crystal dust.

And there, inside what remained of the entrance to the elevator shaft, was Atrus. He was more dirty and disheveled than Sam had ever seen him and one of the lenses in his glasses was broken, but he was in one piece. Relief rose in Sam, pushing aside the lump of worry and anxiety that had been forming in her stomach ever since she and Sirrus had linked to Spire. Without another thought, she rushed over and enfolded Atrus in a tight hug.

Atrus stiffened for a moment before returning the hug, surprised. In over twenty years of friendship, Sam had never done more than lay a comforting hand on Atrus's arm. Now, though, she was so glad to see that he was all right that she didn't feel embarrassed showing it. She hadn't realized how on edge she had been.

When Sam had let him go, Atrus turned to Sirrus and grasped his son's hand tightly in both of his own. It was a more distant, masculine gesture than Sam's hug had been, but there was no less emotion in it. The worry lines on Sirrus's face smoothed and he smiled.

_Finally,_ Sam thought, _everything's going to be okay._

Atrus was far more than a bit hungry and gladly accepted the apple and rather soggy bread that Sirrus had in his pack. Atrus's own pack, once he had retrieved it from behind the rubble, turned out to have several of Sirrus's notebooks tucked in it, just as Sirrus had suspected.

"I figured if I was stuck, I might as well look around," Atrus explained as he ate. "The elevator was still working, and things seemed stable enough despite the flood. I made it down this far before another violent storm hit."

"The one that broke the elevator?" Sirrus guessed.

Atrus nodded. "I'm not quite sure how it happened. One minute, water was pouring down the shaft, and the next it started to bring rocks with it. When the storm ended, I went to assess the damage, and that's when a rockslide blocked off the entrance."

"And you were stuck there," Sam shook her head.

"I kept telling myself that I should have seen it coming," Atrus replied, "but the storms here…I've never seen anything like it. The destruction is incredible. The rate at which everything is deteriorating shouldn't be possible, and yet it's happening."

"You said you had an idea about what might be causing it," Sirrus said slowly. "Did you ever find out?"

"I would have to go back to the Book to be sure, but it seems as thought there's some kind of electrical imbalance somewhere in the atmosphere of the Age," Atrus said. "When the electricity was being harnessed, it somehow kept things stable, but when the usage stopped, electricity started building up in the atmosphere again and affected the weather."

"So my experiments might have been keeping the Age from collapsing?" Sirrus asked in surprise.

"That's certainly what it looks like," Atrus replied. "Again, I've never seen anything quite like it. But any more studying I do of it will have to be done strictly from books."

Sam chuckled. "I'm sure Catherine will be happy to hear that."

Atrus's eyebrows drew together. "How is Catherine?"

"She's, er," Sam glanced at Sirrus, unsure of how to answer.

"Scared," Sirrus supplied. "And worried. In fact, it would be a good idea to link home now."

Sam nodded in agreement and pulled from her pack one of the two Tomahna linking books that she and Sirrus had bought. She propped it on the pile of rubble by the entrance to the elevator shaft.

"Well, this is it," Atrus said. "The end of an Age."

"It's probably all for the better," Sirrus replied before laying his hand on the linking panel and disappearing. After a last look around, Atrus did the same.

Sam followed, smiling a little, and not a moment too soon. Shortly after she linked through, Spire's violent rain began again. It was only a matter of time before the rest of the Age was reduced to rubble and crystal shards.

* * *

Sam had never seen Catherine embrace Atrus, nor had she ever seen them kiss. Their affection was usually much more subtle. But a few minutes after returning from Spire, Sirrus and Sam politely left Atrus and Catherine alone in Atrus's study. Sirrus looked like he was close to laughing. 

"I think Mother's all right now," he said.

"They're both all right," Sam agreed with a smile.

"Are you?" Sirrus asked suddenly.

"What a weird time to ask," Sam laughed. "I'm fine. I could use a change of clothes, but I'm fine."

"In that case, I'll go check on Yeesha," Sirrus said. Sam watched him go through the door that led to Catherine's study, then listened to his footsteps as he set off down the walkway towards where Yeesha was sitting at the table outside the kitchen.

Respectful distance. That was a new one. And without hesitation, too…

Lost in thought, Sam headed in the direction of Yeesha's room for a change of clothes and some privacy.


	8. The Walk

**Author's Note:** Well, here it is, the last chapter! I hope it measures up.  
I won't be returning to Sirrus and Sam's story, at least not any time soon. Thanks to everyone who R&R'd this and "Second Chances"...I had no idea when I set out to put this on paper that people would want to read a random Myst fic by an author who's not all that active in the community. I appreciate your support. :) Thanks again, and enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 8 – The Walk**

The next day was full of stories about the trip to Spire.

Catherine seemed to have recovered from her bout of fear and paranoia. The night before, she had apologized profusely to Sirrus for the way she had treated him, and now both she and Atrus wanted to know what he and Sam had gone through on Spire, and if they had discovered anything interesting.

Sam let Sirrus do most of the talking, and only half-listened when Atrus recapped his own experience. She was still busy with thoughts of her own.

Sirrus and Atrus spent a good chunk of the day in Atrus's study, going through the Spire Book and getting any useful information they could out of Sirrus's old journals. It seemed that, although he knew he could never return to the Age, Atrus was still determined to prove his theory on what had caused it to collapse. Catherine laughed, saying that was just the way Atrus was, and she could live with it as long as he didn't do any more unannounced exploring.

Shortly after dinner, Sam showed up at Yeesha's bedroom door while Yeesha and Sirrus were playing chess.

"Yeesha, can I borrow your brother for a while?" she asked, smiling a bit.

Yeesha laughed. "Sure. I think I'm losing, anyway."

"You are not," Sirrus countered as he stood up. "You can checkmate me. Look for it while I'm gone."

"Has she beat you yet?" Sam asked once they were out on the walkway.

"Once or twice. She's getting better," Sirrus replied. "Where are we going?"

"For a walk," Sam said, much to Sirrus's surprise. "I want to show you something."

The walk wasn't as long as the hikes Sirrus usually took Sam on. After a few minutes, Sam led Sirrus off the main walkway near where the elevator led to Atrus's study. From there, they walked a path that curved upward around a cliff face, and then climbed a steep hill before finally emerging on a long, narrow stretch of rock. Sam stopped in the middle of this stretch and pointed down.

"This," she said quietly as Sirrus looked, "is _my _favorite part of Tomahna."

Sirrus looked down on a waterfall and realized that the sound of the rushing water had been building in his ears over the last few minutes of the walk. He watched the water thunder down between the red cliffs for a while before speaking.

"We're above Father's workshop, aren't we?" he asked eventually. When Sam nodded, he looked back down on the waterfall and remarked, "I got the impression that you didn't like heights."

Sam laughed a little. "I usually don't, but this is different somehow. Peaceful, maybe, and powerful." She paused, looking down at the water. Then, to Sirrus's utter astonishment, she reached over and took his hand.

"Sirrus," she said, "I have to apologize."

"For what?" Sirrus asked, unable to believe that the very same person who had pushed him away during the rainstorm on Spire now had her fingers entwined with his. That small gesture was more than he ever could have hoped to happen, and he knew he should feel silly for being so excited about it, but he didn't.

"I haven't been giving you enough credit," Sam replied. "No matter how much you showed that you'd reformed, I still saw you as someone who didn't have any real capacity to care. Somewhere in my mind, I still viewed you as the person you used to be, rather than who you've become. And I'm sorry for that. The past few days showed me that you do more than care; you put forth an effort to make things right for the sake of people other than yourself, you worry, and…well, you love. I'm not sure why I thought I could ignore that."

Sirrus stared at the water throwing up spray far below. He was almost afraid to open his mouth. If Sam wasn't saying what he thought she was saying, then he could very easily make a fool of himself.

For a while, he had been hopeful. Sam had seemed to stop seeing him as a fool, and, he thought, enjoyed their time together. But after the way she had shut him out on Spire, Sirrus started wondering if he'd been wrong, if his own optimism had prevented him from seeing what was really going on. Now…he hardly dared to think that things might work out.

"I wasn't too obvious, then?" he said finally, endeavoring to joke.

Sam laughed. "Oh, you were plenty obvious, almost like a teenager at times. Maybe that's part of what had me wary. I mean, we're not _old, _but we're not young, either."

"Should that matter?" Sirrus asked.

"No," Sam shook her head. "A lot of things shouldn't. I kept making all these rules in my head, excuses as to why I couldn't take your attention seriously."

"I'm sorry if I was overwhelming," Sirrus said.

"You weren't, not really," Sam assured him. "It just seemed sort of…sudden at first. Considering the circumstances, I mean." She paused, tapping her food nervously. "Hell, this is awkward."

"Sorry," Sirrus said again. He was starting to feel confused, and he was pretty sure his hands were sweating.

"Would you stop apologizing? The only thing you're guilty of is being a little overeager," Sam sighed. "Look, this is weird for me. It's not that I haven't had a relationship before, but none of them ever worked out. I've been pretty much on my own for most of my adult life. I've had the same way of approaching things and some pretty tough inner walls for a long time. It takes more than six months of earnest attention to get over that."

Another moment of silence passed, broken only by the rumbling of the waterfall.

"I'm confused," Sirrus admitted eventually. "We're standing here holding hands, but I feel like you're trying to tell me I'm wasting my time."

"I'm just telling you where my mind is right now," Sam replied. "Whether or not you're wasting your time is up to you to decide."

"At least give me something more concrete to go on," Sirrus turned to look at Sam, watching her expression as he spoke. "I care about you. I want to keep spending time with you, and I want to protect you. Does that mean anything to you, or should I stop trying?"

Sam squeezed his hand. "Don't stop trying. Just don't try so hard." She laughed quietly. "What I meant to say, long-winded as I've been, is that I care about you, too, and not just because you're Atrus's son. I want you to be happy. It's not love, not yet. It's not complicated. But the feeling _is _there."

"And you're willing to give it a chance?"

"I am if you are."

With the sound of the waterfall roaring in his ears along with something else he couldn't quite identify, Sirrus let go of Sam's hand and cautiously put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her a little closer. Instead of pushing him away this time, Sam relaxed, looking out over the expanse of cliffs beyond the waterfall.

"I don't suppose you'll let me kiss you any time soon," Sirrus said suddenly. Sam laughed again.

"Don't rush it," she said.

* * *

Atrus's Journal 

_After several days of questions and research, I have come to a satisfactory conclusion about the problems on Spire. I have not yet found where the problem originates in the text of the Book itself, and as of yet I am not sure I will take the time to look. The Age is beyond repair and I know that no one will ever be returning there._

_My notes, coupled with Catherine's observations, indicate an electrical imbalance on some basic level. It seems that my assumptions were right: the electricity was building up in the atmosphere, causing the storms to become more and more violent. Several types of rock on the Age were not made to withstand such force, and each storm weakened them further. Therefore, it was only a matter of time before everything collapsed._

_Somehow, though, Sirrus's use of electricity in his experiments kept the buildup at a minimum and greatly delayed the destruction of the Age. I am glad for this. I could not have lived with the idea that there was a chance of the Age collapsing while my son was still there._

_I have barely begun to make up for the fear and panic that my disappearance caused my family. This was a time when my curiosity getting the better of me could have had dire consequences. I am grateful for the way that my son and my friend were able to band together to rescue me from a situation that I can only blame myself for._

_Still, I feel that the best thing to do is to put the experience behind me and continue moving forward. I have suffered many setbacks in my life, but this does not have to be one of them. My family remains strong, and we all have much to look forward to.  
_

* * *

Catherine's Journal 

_So life goes on again, almost as usual but with quiet, subtle differences._

_Atrus has set a goal for himself in his research of the changes occurring on Spire, which is a relief. It effectively puts a limit on what and how much he will do in pursuit of an answer. This time, I feel confident that, when he finds what he's looking for, the Age will well and truly be laid to rest._

_Sirrus…I feel horrible for how I doubted him, how I treated him. How I ever could have thought that he would try to harm Atrus, to harm our family, after all he's been through to try and fit back into it…_

_I've apologized, and though that doesn't feel like enough for me, it seems like enough for him. He seems to be making an effort to be more open, and I hope we can begin to forge a real relationship despite the way I behaved while in the grip of fear.  
_

* * *

Yeesha's Journal (several days later) 

_I beat Sirrus at chess again today! He says I'm getting much better at it and he's starting to have trouble spotting what defenses I'm using._

_I'm not sure I believe him. I think he's not paying attention. He seemed preoccupied when I came back from Serenia yesterday. I wanted to ask him about it, but Mom says its better not to. I don't know what's going on with him, but Mom gets the strangest smile when she talks about it._

_I think I'll go do some more chess practice.  
_

* * *

Sirrus's Journal 

_I've made the embarrassing discovery that I have a tendency to blush. It seems rather late in life to have developed it, but then again, things are very different now than they were when I was young._

_Mother and I have been getting along, but it's slow going. That, I think is my fault; even after more than a year, I hardly ever know what to say to her. I suppose it will get easier with time. For now, I'm helping with meals and chores as often as I can, to show I'm willing and that I care._

_Father seems nearly ready to set Spire aside. I never asked what he did with Haven, but I have a feeling that Mother will want him to do the same with Spire when all's said and done._

_I don't mind. I've put that part of my life behind me, and there's a kind of relief in knowing that the Age is collapsing and will soon be gone. I'd never say so to Father, of course. To him, the loss of Spire is much like the loss of any other Age, but to me, it's a sign that all that's happened over the last year was meant to be, and that ay fears I had about backsliding and losing my family can finally be laid to rest._

_Once again, it's all about moving forward.  
_

* * *

Sam's Journal 

_I've been in Tomahna for more than a week, and yet I still don't have any plans to go home. I know I should, that I have things to do and a life to lead there, but…_

_I feel almost silly for thinking it. I _should _feel silly. I've been on my own for long enough to know that I can take care of myself. But somehow, being alone doesn't seem quite so appealing any more._

_I've been thinking about what happened on Spire, and about Atrus, and this family. There is something very special here that I feel blessed to have been a part of—to still be a part of. I see how happy everyone is day to day and it makes me wonder why I don't spend more time here. And I have to admit, I've been thinking about Sirrus and if I'll miss him when I finally do go home._

_But what is "home", really? I don't want to get too philosophical, but if home isn't a place where you feel comfortable and welcome, what is it?_

_I do feel comfortable back home, and I see my parents often enough, but here, despite all the crazy times there have been, I feel relaxed. The atmosphere of Tomahna does something to me. Here I can pause, I can unwind…I can think. Being around Atrus and his family makes me consider my life in a way that's both technical and profound, and all this thinking has made me realize that it's been a long time since I made any positive changes in my life or in myself. So I guess I'll stay here for now, and time will tell what my next move will be._

_One thing's for sure; I definitely have to teach Sirrus how to kiss. He's terrible at it. But that, too, will come in time._

THE END


End file.
